Numerical Study of the Biomechanical Behavior of a 3D Printed Polymer Esophageal Stent in the Esophagus by BP Neural Network Algorithm

Esophageal disease is a common disorder of the digestive system that can severely affect the quality of life andprognosis of patients. Esophageal stenting is an effective treatment that has been widely used in clinical practice.However, esophageal stents of different types and parameters have varying adaptability and effectiveness forpatients, and they need to be individually selected according to the patient’s specific situation. The purposeof this study was to provide a reference for clinical doctors to choose suitable esophageal stents. We used 3Dprinting technology to fabricate esophageal stents with different ratios of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/(Poly-ε-caprolactone) PCL polymer, and established an artificial neural network model that could predict the radial forceof esophageal stents based on the content of TPU, PCL and print parameter. We selected three optimal ratios formechanical performance tests and evaluated the biomechanical effects of different ratios of stents on esophagealimplantation, swallowing, and stent migration processes through finite element numerical simulation and in vitrosimulation tests. The results showed that different ratios of polymer stents had different mechanical properties,affecting the effectiveness of stent expansion treatment and the possibility of postoperative complications of stentimplantation.

A fast ionic transport copolymeric network for stable quasi-solid lithium metal battery

Solid-state lithium(Li) metal batteries overwhelm the lithium-ion batteries by harvesting high energy from Li metal anode with ultrahigh capacities and gaining excellent safety from solid electrolytes.However,the uncontrollable solvents in solid electrolytes usually aggravate poor interfacial contact with lithium metal anode and deteriorate Li^(+) pathways.Here a copolymeric network-structured ion conductor by rationally integrating cellulose nanofibril as a two-in-one functional material is employed to anchor the solvent.Taking advantages of tightly anchoring of cellulose nanofibril to solvent,the asconstructed quasi-solid polymer-based electrolyte offers rapid Li^(+) transport channels and realizes effective Li-dendrite suppression,which enables high ionic conductivity of 1.93 × 10^(-3)S cm^(-1) at room temperature,long-term Li plating/stripping over 1900 h,and high capacity retention of 99%.This work provides a fresh strategy for creating solid electrolytes that meet both high ionic conductivity and interfacial stability requirements for practical solid-state lithium metal battery.

Semi-Interpenetrating Novolac-Epoxy Thermoset Polymer Networks Derived from Plant Biomass

Bio-based phenol-formaldehyde polymer (BioNovolac) was developed by reacting molar excess of bio-oil/phenolwith formaldehyde in acidic medium. Glycidyl 3,5-diglycidoxybenzoate (GDGB), was prepared by directglycidylation of α-resorcylic acid (RA), a naturally occurring phenolic monomer. GDGB was crosslinked in thepresence of BioNovolac by anionic polymerization. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmedthe formation of semi-interpenetrating polymer networks. The glass transition temperature and moduli of biobasedcrosslinked systems were observed to increase with increasing GDGB content. Active chain density andmass retention measured by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and Soxhlet extraction, respectively, indicated ahigh crosslink density of the cured networks. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images depicted thehomogeneity of the bulk phase. The preparation of bio-based epoxy-novolac thermoset network resulted inreduced consumption of petroleum-based chemicals.

Preparation of Semi-interpenetrating Polymer Network of Silicon Rubber and Poly(methyl methylacrylate) Using Supercritical CO_2

The heterogeneous free-radical polymerization of methyl methylacrylate (MMA) and divinylbenzene (DVB) as cross-linker within supercritical carbon dioxide-swollen silicon rubber (SR) has been studied as an approach to preparing semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) of SR and poly(methyl methylacrylate) (PMMA). The SR/PMMA semi-IPNs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA).

A Self-Healing and Nonflammable Cross-Linked Network Polymer Electrolyte with the Combination of Hydrogen Bonds and Dynamic Disulfide Bonds for Lithium Metal Batteries

The self-healing solid polymer electrolytes(SHSPEs)can spontaneously eliminate mechanical damages or micro-cracks generated during the assembly or operation of lithium-ion batteries(LIBs),significantly improving cycling performance and extending service life of LIBs.Here,we report a novel cross-linked network SHSPE(PDDP)containing hydrogen bonds and dynamic disulfide bonds with excellent self-healing properties and nonflammability.The combination of hydrogen bonding between urea groups and the metathesis reaction of dynamic disulfide bonds endows PDDP with rapid self-healing capacity at 28°C without external stimulation.Furthermore,the addition of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide(EMIMTFSI)improves the ionic conductivity(1.13×10^(−4)S cm^(−1)at 28°C)and non-flammability of PDDP.The assembled Li/PDDP/LiFePO_(4)cell exhibits excellent cycling performance with a discharge capacity of 137 mA h g^(−1)after 300 cycles at 0.2 C.More importantly,the self-healed PDDP can recover almost the same ionic conductivity and cycling performance as the original PDDP.

High Water Resistance and Enhanced Mechanical Properties of Bio-Based Waterborne Polyurethane Enabled by in-situ Construction of Interpenetrating Polymer Network

In this study,acrylic acid was used as a neutralizer to prepare bio-based WPU with an interpenetrating polymer network structure by thermally induced free radical emulsion polymerization.The effects of the content of acrylic acid on the properties of the resulting waterborne polyurethane-poly(acrylic acid)(WPU-PAA)dispersion and the films were systematically investigated.The results showed that the cross-linking density of the interpenetrating network polymers was increased and the interlocking structure of the soft and hard phase dislocations in the molecular segments of the double networks was tailored with increasing the content of acrylic acid,leading to enhancement of the mechanical properties and water resistance of WPU-PAA films.Notably,with the increase in content of acrylic acid,the tensile strength,Young’s modulus,and toughness of the WPU-PAA-110 film increased by 3 times,and 8 times,and 2.4 times compared with WPU-PAA-80,respectively.The WPU-PAA-100 film showed the best water resistance,and the water absorption rate at 96 h was only 3.27%.This work provided a new design scheme for constructing bio-based WPU materials with excellent properties.

Study of Hydrophobic Nature of Fullerene-Based Poly (Methyl Hydro Siloxane) and Polyacrylonitrile Interpenetrating Polymer Network

In this study, the effect of combining different molecular domains on single platform has been reported that revealed a proper packing and interpenetration of fullerene spheres with the monomeric species. The fabricated IPN system exhibits hydrophobic behavior in nature. An interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) of fullerene-based poly (methyl hydro siloxane) (PMHS) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) was prepared. The synthesized polymer network was characterized using infrared (IR) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetric analysis (DSC), and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) technique. The IPN was analyzed by IR spectroscopy, which depicts presence of fullerene at 500 cm−1 and 1632 cm−1, presence of PHMS at 1050 cm−1, 1250 cm−1, 2225 cm−1, and 3000 cm−1 and presence of PAN at 3077 cm−1, 1299 cm−1, 1408 cm−1 and 2083 cm−1. Shifting in band positions indicated the interpenetration of the reacting species. DSC endotherm showed crystalline peak (Tc) at 117˚C, which indicated the crystalline nature of the synthesized IPN. The absence of Tg peak and clear observable Tc peak revealed crystalline behavior of polymeric network. The microstructure of the polymer network was observed by SEM technique, which revealed transparent and dual-phase morphology of the IPN surface. The fluorescent emission spectra of polymeric network were recorded on a spectrofluorometer which revealed fluorescent excitation and emission spectra of the IPN. The Emission spectra generated by radiative decay of excitations exhibit a maximal peak at 450 nm, suggesting that the synthesized IPN nanosheets were typically high-intensity blue light emitting materials. The FTIR investigations revealed multiple non-covalent interactions achieved by polymerization with physical anchoring on the polymeric network surfaces. Such interactions can be recognized as the driving force for the fabrication of hydrophobic flexible silicon-based materials with a self-cleansing action.

Regulatable Orthotropic 3D Hybrid Continuous Carbon Networks for Efficient Bi-Directional Thermal Conduction

Vertically oriented carbon structures constructed from low-dimen-sional carbon materials are ideal frameworks for high-performance thermal inter-face materials(TIMs).However,improving the interfacial heat-transfer efficiency of vertically oriented carbon structures is a challenging task.Herein,an orthotropic three-dimensional(3D)hybrid carbon network(VSCG)is fabricated by depositing vertically aligned carbon nanotubes(VACNTs)on the surface of a horizontally oriented graphene film(HOGF).The interfacial interaction between the VACNTs and HOGF is then optimized through an annealing strategy.After regulating the orientation structure of the VACNTs and filling the VSCG with polydimethylsi-loxane(PDMS),VSCG/PDMS composites with excellent 3D thermal conductive properties are obtained.The highest in-plane and through-plane thermal conduc-tivities of the composites are 113.61 and 24.37 W m^(-1)K^(-1),respectively.The high contact area of HOGF and good compressibility of VACNTs imbue the VSCG/PDMS composite with low thermal resistance.In addition,the interfacial heat-transfer efficiency of VSCG/PDMS composite in the TIM performance was improved by 71.3%compared to that of a state-of-the-art thermal pad.This new structural design can potentially realize high-performance TIMs that meet the need for high thermal conductivity and low contact thermal resistance in interfacial heat-transfer processes.

Semi-interpenetrating network anion exchange membranes based on quaternized polyvinyl alcohol/poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride)

The semi-interpenetrating network anion exchange membranes(AEMs)based on quaternized polyvinyl alcohol(QPVA)and poly(-diallyldimethylammonium chloride)(PDDA)are synthesized.The chemical cross-linking structure is formed between hydroxyl groups of QPVA and aldehyde groups of glutaraldehyde(GA),which makes PDDA more stable embed in the QPVA matrix and also improves the mechanical properties and dimensional stability of AEMs.Due to the phase separation phenomenon of AEMs swelling in water,a microporous structure may be formed in the membrane,which reduces the transmission resistance of hydroxide ions and provides a larger space for the transfer of hydroxide ions,thus improving the conductivity.The ring structure of PDDA is introduced as a cationic group to transfer hydroxide ions,and shields the nucleophilic attack of the hydroxide ions through the steric hindrance effect,which improves alkaline stability.The hydroxide conductivity of semi-interpenetrating network membrane(QPVA/PDDA0.5-GA)is 36.5 mS cm^(-1) at 60℃.And the membrane of QPVA/PDDA0.5-GA exhibits excellent mechanical property with maximum tensile strength of 19.6 MPa.After immersing into hot 3 mol L^(-1) NaOH solutions at 60℃ for 300 h,the OHconductivity remains 78%of its initial value.The semi-interpenetrating network AEMs with microporous structure exhibit good ionic conductivity,mechanical strength and alkaline durability.

Fluorinated semi-interpenetrating polymer networks for enhancing the mechanical performance and storage stability of polymer-bonded explosives by controlling curing and phase separation rates

Herein, the effect of fluoropolymer binders on the properties of polymer-bonded explosives(PBXs) was comprehensively investigated. To this end, fluorinated semi-interpenetrating polymer networks(semiIPNs) were prepared using different catalyst amounts(denoted as F23-CLF-30-D). The involved curing and phase separation processes were monitored using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, a haze meter and a rheometer. Curing rate constant and activation energy were calculated using a theoretical model and numerical method, respectively. Results revealed that owing to its co-continuous micro-phase separation structure, the F23-CLF-30-D3 semi-IPN exhibited considerably higher tensile strength and elongation at break than pure fluororubber F2314 and the F23-CLF-30-D0 semi-IPN because the phase separation and curing rates matched in the initial stage of curing.An arc Brazilian test revealed that F23-CLF-30-D-based composites used as mock materials for PBXs exhibited excellent mechanical performance and storage stability. Thus, the matched curing and phase separation rates play a crucial role during the fabrication of high-performance semi-IPNs;these factors can be feasibly controlled using an appropriate catalyst amount.

A tree-growing graphic model for asymmetrical phantom networks in polymeric gels undergoing dynamic mechanochemical coupling

Network structures of various polymers have significant effects on their mechanical properties;therefore,numerous studies have investigated the constitutive relationship between symmetrical network structures and their rubber elasticity in polymers.However,few studies have focused on asymmetrical network structures in polymers that undergo bond exchange reactions,selfassembly,or mechanochemical coupling—all of which are induced by transition probabilities of chemical bonding processes.In this study,an extended constraint junction and phantom network model is formulated using the tree-growing theory to establish a constitutive relationship between asymmetrical network structures and their rubber elasticity in polymers.A free-energy equation is further developed to explore working principles of configurational transitions on the dynamic rubber elasticity of symmetrical and asymmetrical network structures.The constitutive relationship between dynamic rubber elasticity and symmetrical and asymmetrical network structures has also been proposed for the gels undergoing mechanochemical and hydromechanical coupling.Finally,the effectiveness of this newly proposed tree-growing model has been verified by comparing with the classical affine network model,finite element analysis,and the experimental results of gels reported in literature.

Studies on the Morphology of Natural Rubber/Polyacrylate Interpenetrating Polymer Networks

The interpenetrating polymer network(IPN) systems have attracted a lot of attention because of their unique two-phase structure and properties. There have been many publications concerning the IPNs in which poly (isoprene) (PIP) or polyacrylates (PAC) is formed as one of the networks.In the present study, Four serles of natural rubber(NR)/PAC IPNs were prepared and their morphologies were investigated with dynamic mechanics analysis(DMA) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Polymerization Process and Morphology of Polyurethane/Vinyl Ester Resin Interpenetrating Polymer Networks

A series of polyurethane （PU）/vinyl ester resin （VER） simultaneous IPNs （interpenetrating polymer networks） with different component ratios and comonomers types introduced to VER were synthesized and the polymerization processes were traced by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR） to study the kinetics of IPNs and hydrogen bonding action within multi-component. Furthermore, the relationship of polymerization process with morphology was investigated in detail for the first time by the morphological information given by chemical action between two networks besides physical entanglement, atomic force microscope （AFM） observation and dynamic mechanical analysis （DMA）. The results indicated that the degree of hydrogen bonding （Xb,UT,%）, calculated from functional group conversional rate and fine structures gained from FT-IR spectra of two networks, were affected by PU/VER weight ratios and comonomer types of VER. The relationship of formation kinetics and morphology showed that the change of Xb,UT （%） values exhibited excellent consistency with that of phase sizes observed by AFM and detected by DMA.

Compressive Strength Estimation for the Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP)-Confined Concrete Columns with Different Shapes Using Artificial Neural Networks

An evaluation of existing strength of concrete columns confined with fiber-reinforced polymer( FRP) was presented with extensive collection of experimental data. According to the evaluation results, artificial neural networks( ANNs) model to predict the ultimate strength of FRP confined column with different shapes was proposed. The models had seven inputs including the column length,the tensile strength of the FRP in the hoop direction,the total thickness of FRP,the diameter of the concrete specimen,the elastic modulus of FRP,the corner radius and the concrete compressive strength. The compressive strength of the confined concrete was the output data. The results reveal that the proposed models have good prediction and generalization capacity with acceptable errors.

Preparation,Morphology and Damping Property of PU/UP Interpenetrating Polymer Networks

Interpenetrating polymer networks （IPNs） composed of acrylate-modified polyurethane （PU）/unsaturated polyester （UP） resin via simultaneous polymerization with various component ratios of PU/UP were prepared. The polymerization processes of IPNs were traced through infrared spectrum （IR） techniques, by which the phase separation in systems could be controlled effectively. Results for the morphology and miscibility among multiple phases of IPNs, obtained by transmission electron microscope （TEM） indicated that the domains between two phases were constricted in nanometer scales. The dynamic mechanical thermal analyzer （DMTA） detection results revealed that the loss factor （tanS） and loss modulus （E″） increased with the polyurethane amounts in system, and the peak value in curves of tanδ and E″ appeared toward low temperature ranges. Maximum tanδ values of all samples were above 0.3 in the nearly 50℃ ranges. Also, the mechanical properties of PU/UP IPNs were studied in detail.

Thermoreversible Thickening and Self-assembly Behaviors of pH/Temperature Dually Responsive Microgels with Interpenetrating Polymer Network Structure

The pH /temperature dually responsive microgels of interpenetrating polymer network( IPN) structure composed of poly( N-isopropylacrylamide)( PNIPAM) network and poly( acrylic acid)( PAA) network( PNIPAM /PAA IPN microgels) were synthesized by seed emulsion polymerization. The results obtained by dynamic laser light scattering( DLLS) show that the microgels have good pH /temperature dual sensitivities. The temperature sensitive component and the pH sensitive component inside the microgels have little interference with each other. The rheological properties of the concentrated PNIPAM /PAA IPN microgel dispersions as a function of temperature at pH 4. 0 or 7. 0 were investigated by viscometer,and the results displayed that only at pH 7. 0 the dispersions presented thermoreversible thickening behavior. Then the PNIPAM /PAA fibers were prepared by self-assembly of the PNIPAM /PAA IPN microgels in the ice-crystal templates formed by unidirectional liquid nitrogen freezing method. Field emission scanning electron microscopy( FESEM) images indicate that the PNIPAM /PAA fibers are rounded,randomly orientated and interweaved.

Flexible Polydimethylsiloxane Composite with Multi-Scale Conductive Network for Ultra-Strong Electromagnetic Interference Protection

Highly conductive polymer composites(CPCs) with excellent mechanical flexibility are ideal materials for designing excellent electromagnetic interference(EMI) shielding materials,which can be used for the electromagnetic interference protection of flexible electronic devices.It is extremely urgent to fabricate ultra-strong EMI shielding CPCs with efficient conductive networks.In this paper,a novel silver-plated polylactide short fiber(Ag@PL ASF,AAF) was fabricated and was integrated with carbon nanotubes(CNT) to construct a multi-scale conductive network in polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS) matrix.The multi-scale conductive network endowed the flexible PDMS/AAF/CNT composite with excellent electrical conductivity of 440 S m-1and ultra-strong EMI shielding effectiveness(EMI SE) of up to 113 dB,containing only 5.0 vol% of AAF and 3.0 vol% of CNT(11.1wt% conductive filler content).Due to its excellent flexibility,the composite still showed 94% and 90% retention rates of EMI SE even after subjected to a simulated aging strategy(60℃ for 7 days) and 10,000 bending-releasing cycles.This strategy provides an important guidance for designing excellent EMI shielding materials to protect the workspace,environment and sensitive circuits against radiation for flexible electronic devices.

AN EPOXY/(METHYL METHACRYLATE)INTERPENETRATING POLYMER NETWORK FOR NONLINEAR OPTICS

An interpenetrating polymer networks (IPN) consisting of an epoxy-based polymer network and a polymethyl methacrylate network were synthesized and characterized. The IPN showed only one T-g, and hence a homogeneous-phase morphology was suggested. The second-order nonlinear optical coefficient (d(33)) of the IPN was measured to be 1.72 X 10(-7) esu. The study of NLO temporal stability at room temperature and elevated temperature (100 degrees C) indicated that the IPN exhibits a high stability in the dipole orientation due to the permanent entanglements of two component networks in the IPN system. Long-term stability of second harmonic coefficients was observed at room temperature for more than 1000 h.

PREPARATION OF STAR NETWORK PEG-BASED GEL POLYMER ELECTROLYTES FOR ELECTROCHROMIC DEVICES

An amorphous,colorless,and highly transparent star network polymer with a pentaerythritol core linking four PEG-block polymeric arms was synthesized from the poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG),pentaerythritol,and dichloromethane by Williamson reaction.FTIR and ~1H-NMR measurement demonstrated that the polymer repeating units were C[CH_2-OCH_2O-(CH_2CH_2O)_m-CH_2O-(CH_2CH_2O)_n-CH_2O]_4.The polymer host held well mechanical properties for pentaerythritol cross-linking.The gel polymer electrolytes based on Lithium pe...

A FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF THE LARGE PLASTIC DEFORMATION BEHAVIOR OF AMORPHOUS GLASSY CIRCULAR POLYMERIC BARS

The BPA eight-chain molecular network model is introduced into the finite element formulation of elastic-plastic large deformation. And then, the tensile deformation localization development of the amorphous glassy circular polymeric bars (such as polycarbonates) is numerically simulated. The simulated results are compared with experimental ones, and very good consistence between numerical simulation and experiment is obtained, which shows the efficiency of the finite element analysis. Finally, the influences of the microstructure parameter S-ss on tensile neck-propagation and triaxial stress effect are studied.